


That's the Worst Thing I Could Do

by reginahalliwell



Series: Some Kind of Goodbye [2]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It, episode: the incredible sinking lorelais
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:31:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3150719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginahalliwell/pseuds/reginahalliwell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot sequel to Some Kind of Goodbye. Once the initial surprise and happiness have worn off, Rory and Jess settle in to watch a movie together, and it brings to the surface issues that run deep in their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's the Worst Thing I Could Do

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from Grease.

“So, what now?”

“Now we ride off into the sunset, living our happily ever after, of course.”

“Ah, what was I thinking?” Rory smiled and twined her fingers lazily through Jess’s. 

“But in the off chance that we aren’t in a fairy tale? I was gonna go with you coming home with me.” She gave him a look, immediately regretting the surprise that crossed her face. “Or not,” he said. “I’ll drop you at your dorm.”

“No,” Rory agreed, “Let’s go to your place. I came here because I didn’t want to be in my normal places at Yale, so going back to my dorm isn’t exactly ideal. Paris is home and there was a thing with my roommates and it’s just really not what I need right now.”

“Which is?”

“Some quiet. Someone who believes in me. Maybe some snacks.”

“I think we can manage that.”

“So, your place? Where exactly is that? How did the elusive Jess Mariano find himself in New Haven? My town. Hey, were you stalking me?” One look at his face told her everything. “That should be creepy.”

“But it’s not, right? It’s on the Ryan Gosling side of the stalker spectrum. I just wanted to see if you were happy. How much I screwed things up.”

“And?”

“You seem okay. Perhaps I should be insulted.”

Rory smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I was pining, believe me. I just hide it really well.”

“Well, in that case…” Jess leaned in to kiss her, lingering once the short kiss had finished to look at her closely. “I’m having trouble believing this is actually happening. Maybe we could do that one more time, just to be sure.” She smiled and obliged, running her fingers through his hair.

When they separated, Jess looked to the book she had been reading. “Maybe you could leave Salinger for the night, if you’re reading to go?”

“I think I can manage. It’s not like I’ll be bereft of a rebellious teen without him.”

“Ha ha. I’m not quite so rebellious anymore.”

“I don’t know. The leather jacket says a lot….” Rory smiled, fingering the hanging buckle at the bottom of said jacket. Jess shivered, her hand brushing against where the buckle hit the top of his thigh (accidentally?). She drew a breath in sharply, both of them feeling the sexual tension.

“Back to my place now?” he asked, breathless.

She nodded in response, leaning in as he reached a leather-clad arm around her shoulders, and Rory let out a breath of relief.

When they were back at his apartment, which looked dingy from the outside but inside was surprisingly normal, he quickly moved things around to clear spaces for them to sit.

“Here’s some sweats if you want to be more comfortable,” he said, grabbing a pair along with a tee shirt off the couch as he moved through the apartment. It was small and not well-furnished, but not as messy as she expected it would be. He turned on a light and then went to the fridge to grab a beer.

“You want one?” he asked, not thinking she would say yes. 

“I’m going to change first,” Rory qualified, “But sure, that sounds good.”

“Rory Gilmore, accepting an alcoholic beverage,” he said in shock, “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“I guess we’ve both grown up,” she said, moving into the bathroom to change, leaving the door open just a crack. 

While she did that, Jess took a long pull from his own beer and then cleaned the kitchen up a bit, grabbing a bag of chips from the pantry and setting them on the coffee table along with their beers.

He flipped through some channels trying to fin something that neither of them would find abhorrent. As the bathroom door creaked open, Rory walked out looking cozy in his sweats. She smiled, then glanced at what was on the screen as he flipped channels.

“Grease!” she exclaimed, and he groaned.

“Aw, come on Rory, you can’t be serious.” He looked at her beseechingly. She smiled, and he gave in. “Fine. But we’re not doing a sing-along.”

“Don’t worry, I promise to let you mock as much as you want.”

“That’s the only way to get through this thing. I’m surprised you like it.”

“I’m surprised you don’t. You don’t see the resemblance, Zuko?”

“Please. My hair is way better than his.”

“Same jacket, though.”

He turned to gasp at her and saw her smiling back at him, then gave up on his protestations. “Okay, Grease it is.” They leaned back and she ducked her head into his chest. 

A few minutes in, while one of the musical numbers was playing, Rory restrained herself from singing along, instead choosing to look up at Jess. When he didn’t think she was looking, he watched with rapt attention, but as soon as he caught her eye, he turned away to take a sip of his beer, then said, “You know, come to think of it, you and Sandra Dee do have a few things in common.”

He expected a glare, and she didn’t disappoint. She held her beer in hand, pointed at it, and said jokingly, “I don’t know. The word ‘ass’ came out of my mouth last week, and as far as I know, this drink in my hand contains alcohol. So I’m pretty sure we’re not exactly the same. I mean, take a look at my grades and the similarities end there…” she murmured, not quite kidding but not really upset.

“Whoa, Rory, you’re so bad,” he teased. She was still so much more innocent than he was, even as worldly as she was becoming. 

She blushed and shoved him slightly. It was almost like old times, but he was more vulnerable and she more imperfect. 

“So what can I do to take your mind off of your complete failure?” he asked, joking.

She laughed and responded, “Try saying that again without the suggestiveness.”

“Why Rory, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only meant…”

“I know what you meant, and it isn’t going to work, mister.”

“It’s not?” he asked, leaning in to kiss her.

Her reply was lost as she returned his kiss, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck to finger his slightly greasy hair that she loved so much. His hand fell to her waist, pulling them closer together—albeit still mostly vertical—on the couch.

She felt her breath catch as his mouth found that spot behind her ear that he remembered made her tremble. She found herself becoming weightless in his arms, as his kisses and touches made her forget her worries. 

Jess could barely believe this was happening—after his crazy confession of love the other day, he had half-expected to never see Rory Gilmore again, or at least to never be in such a position again, but here he was, making out with the one girl he had ever loved even after he screwed things up so badly.

When Rory leaned back onto the couch and pulled him slightly on top of her, Jess became concerned. “Whoa, Rory, I’m not trying…that’s not why I brought you here.”

“I know that. And I’m not saying I’m ready for…that. But I’ve really missed you.” The look in her eyes when she said that made Jess swallow hard. Maybe this wasn’t really the same Rory Gilmore he had dated before. She seemed to be more aware of herself, and of him, and the way her hands moved over his body suggested she wanted to go further than they had before. 

“You know,” she said, “right before you left, before things got all messed up,”—she took a breath—“I told my mom that you and I were close to having sex. She really wasn’t happy about it, but I made it clear that you made me feel safe and loved and happy. When you left, I felt like a fool, because clearly I didn’t make you feel the same way. But here you are, there for me when I need you.” She didn’t want to rehash the same arguments as before, but if they were going to move forward, things had to be clear.

Jess looked down, avoiding her gaze, partially out of shame for his abandonment, and partially out of surprise at her candor. 

“I want to be there for you,” he said, his voice cracking. “I want to be in your life.”

“Can you let me be in yours, then?” she asked. “I want to believe that you won’t run out again the first time things get hard.”

“I’m trying, Rory. I really am. I’m still a mess, but I’m trying to be less screwed up.”

“I don’t care about that, I like messy Jess,” she smiled at her rhyme, and continued, “I just want you to let me help you, I want you to trust me to not judge you or blame you or whatever.”

He held her hand in one of his, stroking her palm with his fingers and thinking of what to say, how to assure her that he was in it for the long haul.

“I got my GED,” he said. “I wasn’t going to do another year of high school, but I’m not an idiot. I know I’m smart and unless I pander to the education system, nobody will ever care. I should have not freaked out and left, I should have thought to do that, and then I could have stayed with Luke, and been at your graduation, and not ruined everything. I mean, I still couldn’t have taken you to your prom, but at least I wouldn’t have abandoned you.”

“Wow, you are talkative tonight,” Rory noticed, lightening the mood. 

Jess smirked, leaned in and kissed her. “The point is, I was a jerk, and it was more stupid than I’d like to think I actually am.”

“I’ve always said how smart you are. I’m glad you finally believe it.” Rory smiled and kissed him softly. “And I promise to trust you more, okay? You deserve more credit than anyone gives you.”

“Well then in the interest of honesty, there’s something you should know.”

Rory perked up and looked at him questioningly. “It doesn’t matter, whatever it is. I don’t care, I don’t need to know.”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. You know when I showed up with a black eye at your grandmother’s house for dinner? It wasn’t a football, it wasn’t Dean… it was a swan.”

Rory started laughing. “See, this is why you should trust me more.”

When she didn’t stop laughing, Jess, made a face. “What? It’s true!”

“Oh, I know it’s true. Come on, Jess, I knew you were lying. I mean, football? Since when do you play football? You’re hardly a jock. Also Luke told my mom, who told me. So, lying was really unnecessary.”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course I forgot about the gossip train. Trust Luke with one secret…” 

“Did you really expect him to not tell my mother, who would revel in knowing about your unfortunate mishap?”

Jess muttered something under his breath, but smiled. “So you’re not mad?”

“No, I’m not mad. I wish you have told me, but I’m not mad. And the next time you get beaked by that evil swan, maybe you can trust me enough to help you exact your revenge, or at least deal with the black eye?”

“Please, I’m not going anywhere near that swan again.”

“Not even to revisit our bridge?” she asked, both of them knowing the significance of that place. It was their place, always would be their place. 

“I mean, I wasn’t planning on going back to Stars Hollow any time soon, but I guess I could make an exception every once in a while,” he said begrudgingly. “Although, my apartment here is a lot less than 22.8 miles from you, so there’s that benefit.”

Her eyes watered a little, sentimentality taking over. “You remembered.”

He nodded. “Of course I did. If you want me to be a little farther away, I can find an apartment elsewhere or even ask Luke to let me move back in. But I’m also pretty happy being only a couple of miles from you, if that doesn’t veer to the other end of the stalker spectrum.”

“I think stalking only counts if I’m not dating you,” she said.

“Yeah?” he said, his eyes saying everything he needed to.

Rory smiled. “Yeah.”

They turned to the TV, where Sandy and Danny were driving off in the flying car at the end of Grease. “Huh,” Rory said. “I forgot how weird the end of this movie is.”

“Yeah, but it’s not about that, you know. It’s about compromising. They both have to be willing to be what the other needs.”

“Oh, really? I had no idea,” she teased. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s cheesy, but kind of perfect.”

The unspoken words hovered between them in the ensuing silence. Rory smiled and tilted her head, and Jess leaned in and kissed her.


End file.
